Nagini
Nagini was a snake who befriended Voldemort. Nagini had a special bond with him and became the final Horcrux. Nagini had an important part in the Second Wizarding War and was found often at Voldemort's side. In order for him to be finally defeated, Nagini needed to be destroyed and she was eventually killed by Neville Longbottom with the Sword of Gryffindor. Biography Befriending Voldemort By the summer of 1994, Nagini had met Voldemort and spent time with him when he was in exile in Albania. It's unknown whether they met in Albania during the exile (a time when Voldemort befriended many animals, but only snakes would bear him inhabiting them) or whether they met earlier than then. However, Nagini was a friend of Voldemort by the time he killed Bertha Jorkins in Albania between January and summer 1994 and he made Nagini the final Horcrux through Bertha's death. Second Wizarding War Early actions Even though Voldemort normally found a hiding place for the Horcruxes he had knowingly made, he kept Nagini unusually close to him and she was often found alongside him even in a fight. In the year leading up to the Second Wizarding War, Nagini was a very important part of helping Voldemort gain power for the second time, beginning with when she had supplied venom for a potion which gave Voldemort a temporary body (an upgrade from the phantom form he was trapped in). In the summer of 1994, Nagini headed to a meeting between Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew in order to plan the kidnapping of Harry Potter. The meeting was held at the abandoned Riddle House. Frank Bryce interrupted the meeting and listened from the door. Nagini had to go past him in order to get to the meeting and she noticed Frank. She told Voldemort that Frank was listening and he gave the order for Peter to kill him. In June 1995, Nagini attended the gathering in Little Hangleton in which Harry Potter was kidnapped and brought to the graveyard in order to get blood for Voldemort to achieve a new, permament body. She was noticed slithering around by Harry, and Voldemort promised she would be able to eat Harry's body when he had killed him, but Harry escaped. In December 1995, Nagini was sent by Voldemort to the Ministry of Magic and she crossed paths with Arthur Weasley. She gave in to temptation and brutally attacked Arthur which left him in a critical condition. Harry saw what happened through Legilimency and sent help for Arthur, but during the attack he actually felt he was the snake. Harry was probably able to witness the event because he was also another Horcrux of Voldemort and was able to look in Voldemort's mind, who may have been inhabiting Nagini's mind at the time. In July 1997, Nagini attended a Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor and she was very annoyed by the loud jeering noises Death Eaters made at Muggle Studies teacher Charity Burbage who was hovering above the table to be killed. The noise made her that angry that she hissed loudly but it fell on deaf ears until Voldemort told them to be silent when stroking Nagini. Charity was later killed and her body was fed to Nagini. Later on 1 August 1997, Voldemort gave Thorffin Rowle and Antonio Dolohov two choices of punishment for Harry getting away from them - further pain at the forced hand of Draco Malfoy or be eaten by Nagini, with them declining the Nagini idea. Godric's Hollow By December 1997, Voldemort had killed Bathilda Bagshot and he had Nagini inhabit her body and stay in Godric's Hollow, in the hope that Harry Potter would go to her for information on the Deathly Hallows. When Harry and Hermione Granger made it to Godric's Hollow, she set a trap and made them follow her to her home. She then called for Voldemort and launched a sudden attack on Harry. Nagini sensed him under the Cloak of Invisibility he was then hiding in, and Harry fought with her until she bit him and coiled around him. Hermione then run to save him and hit Nagini with the Blasting Curse which gave them time to jump out the window and then apparate in time to avoid Voldemort's arrival. Death By May 1998, Voldemort knew Harry was searching for and had found Horcruxes and he placed Nagini in a protective magical cage telling her it was for her own good when in truth, it was because he wanted to keep being immortal. He then decided it was no longer safe for her to be sent on missions for him. On 2 May 1998, she was kept away from the main battle but later joined him on the victory march when Voldemort thought he had killed Harry. But Harry had in fact survived and in the final showdown, knowing Nagini was the final Horcrux, Harry gave the order for Nagini to be killed and Neville Longbottom later pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and beheaded Nagini. Voldemort shouted out in rage and grief and he was killed not long after. Appearance Nagini was a large green snake about twelve feet long. Character Nagini was a cold-hearted killer, loyal only to Voldemort and she obeyed him. It's worth noting she was one of the only ones who ever had affection from him, which she enjoyed. She was also proven to be very cunning and strategic and had sufficient skill to trap people. She was able to hold her own in any kind of fight with witches or wizards and was a skilled combatant. Behind the scenes * For many years, a popular fan theory proposed that Nagini was the Boa Constrictor who escaped from the zoo in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. J.K. Rowling later shot down the theory, saying it was wrong. Notes and sources Category:Characters Category:Snakes Category:Witches